Since Man first moved out of his caves, he has tested many forms of
shelter: crude huts of mud, tents with skin covers, squared logs and
blocks of stone.

Around a group of such dwellings - always near water -
a village would grow, then perhaps a town, with winding paths leading to
the focal point of well or water's edge.

Today, Habitat 67 in Cité du Havre reveals to the
fullest the extent to which man has used his ingenuity in combining
shelter with all the attributes of modern life, in an urban world in which
living space is at a premium. It unites the advantages of apartments, by
housing many families in a small area. It answers the suburban dream of
gardens. And it places every home within walking distance of stores on
sheltered streets.

To the visitor approaching Habitat 67 from almost any
direction, the first impression is one of a series of terraces, rising one
on the other, in set-back steps, to a height of twelve stories. The most
distinctive features of Habitat 67 are the manner in which terraces and
homes are combined for economy of construction, and the system of roads
and pedestrian streets which serve each home on the various
levels.

The actual housing area contains 158 housing units in
20 types, ranging from a 1-bedroom 600 ft. square unit to a 4-bedroom
house of 1,700 sq. ft. The houses were put together by the use of 354
modular construction units, each 17'6" by 38'6" by 10' high, precast of
concrete. After casting, the modular units were taken to a finishing area,
where kitchens, bathrooms, window frames, insulation, fixtures, etc. were
installed. The unit - weighing 70-90 tons - was then lifted into place by
crane.

In grouping the units, the garden of each home is
formed on the roof of the unit below. Each garden is provided with
planters, automatically irrigated and fertilized from a central source.
The occupants choose flowers and shrubs to suit their fancy.

At the ground level, a service road system connects
all service areas and parking facilities. One level above the service
roads is a pedestrian plaza, and above that plastic-sheltered streets
which connect all parts of the project through walk-ways and bridges. At
no time is it necessary for a pedestrian to cross the service roads. To
reach the homes on the upper levels there are three vertical cores, where
the elevators serve the horizontal pedestrian streets. For the younger
children, unable to go alone to the parks on the ground, there are
playgrounds on the upper levels.

In its broad concept and all its details, Habitat 67
is an important contribution to the study of Man in the
Community.